Who Should Attend ?

Employees preparing for an assignment expatriation in one or several Middle Eastern countries, and their partners

Benefits of Attendance

This seminar aims at significantly improving the ability of the participants to meet the challenges of living and working abroad. The objective is to enable them to identify the stumbling blocks that lie ahead and to be able to adapt and integrate in the Middle East.

At the end of this training, participants will have acquired insights and techniques to:

• Be aware of their own cultural baggage
• Understand Middle Eastern context and culture
• Analyse situations in which misunderstandings may arise and identify ways of communicating more effectively
• Reduce and manage the symptoms of culture shock
• Understand Middle Eastern mindset, work practices, decision-making processes and negotiating styles
• Strike the right balance between personal et professional lives

Training Approach

• A cross-cultural approach of International Mobility
• Country specific trainers
• Personalized and familiy focused action plan
• Access to the Nomad’ Network, an exclusive online tool for Akteos’ clients and experts:  find resources, exchange experiences, knowledge and insights

Programme Outline

Module 1 : Successful personnal integration in the Middle East

1. Cross-cultural awareness : the key to a successful expatriation

• Taking stock of one's own cultural baggage
• Culture shock and the integration process
• Identifying and going beyond cultural stereotypes

2. Key aspects of Middle Eastern culture

• A wealth of contrasting backgrounds and situations
• The weight and importance of Islam: differing interpretations of the religion
• The regional and international geopolitical context
• National economies in the process of diversification
• The educational system

3. Middle Eastern values and behaviour patterns

• Hospitality, affability and loyalty
• Family and friends: the ever-present private sphere
• Middle Eastern women: looking beyond the stereotypes
• Religion as a reference and a yardstick
• A sense of honour and the importance of appearances
• The rhythm and amplitude of time
• The community aspect

4. Practical day-to-day information

• Focus on the host town
• Transport, administration, housing, security, hygiene and healthcare
• Social life, leisure activities
• Learning the language
• Schools, extracurricular activities, sport

Module 2 : Successful professionnal integration in the Middle East

1. The Middle Eastern corporate world

• Religion as a part of business life
• Discipline and the importance of hierarchy
• A management style open to Western methods, adapted to local circumstances
• The role of national and local authorities

2. Effective communication with contacts in the Middle East

• The importance of networking, an oral tradition
• Identifying and deciphering implicit communication
• Arabic and English for business

3. Working with teams from the Middle East

• Key factors in building trust and confidence: age, experience and authority
• Giving your best, to encourage others to do the same
• Building harmony and cohesion : adaptability, diplomacy, understanding
• Praise, encouragement and inventiveness

4. Successful meetings and negotiations with the Middle East

• Building long-term relationships thanks to that personal touch
• Building a professional yet friendly business environment
• Identifying decision-makers and mediators
• Giving (and keeping) your word

5. Final handy tips

• Caution, patience and humility
• Social standards, gifts, business cards, dress code
• Sensitive subjects: politics, history, religion
• Humour: a double-edged sword